The Tears of a Rose
by Marie Laveau
Summary: 7th year. DHr. FLUFFY The houses of Hogwarts are divided, due to the teachers trying to form house unity during the dark times.
1. Encyclopedia Granger

Summary: I'm not good with these, so how about a scene from later chap? ~*Fluffy*~ "If you were a flower, you would be a rose," he said softly and lay the beautiful rose in her lap. "...the symbol of all things beautiful." Then, he started leaning in slowly, and Hermione's eyes fluttered closed. "No man is worth the tears of a rose," he whispered, just before their lips met.

A/N: This was my friend's fic first. She started posting it under another name, but stopped. She and I came up with some more ideas for it, but she didn't want to continue it, so I am. Here goes...

One more thing: This fic is very ~*Fluffy*~. It IS going to be D+H, but it'll take time. They can't just immediately fall in love. Unless I get impatient...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or any of the characters, except for Ashlan Albany and Nicholas Welling.

~*~The Tears of a Rose~*~  
  
Chapter 1: Encyclopedia Granger  
  
~HERMIONE~

A girl the age of 17 leaned back against her seat on board the Hogwarts Express. She didn't notice the people giggling, talking, or running down the corridors. And she didn't notice the fields, houses, and lakes dashing by the windows. For she was completely wrapped up in the book that was in her hands, called 'Cages of Glass, Flowers of Time.' It was quite a depressing story really, but she was hooked. Just like she always got hooked to every book she read...   
  
Her friends thought she was weird, because she absolutely loved books. Taking away her books would be like taking away her very breath. And everyone knows what that'll do to a person. They were like a vital substance that her brain needed and longed for. She didn't know what it was about them, but she had been that way towards them ever since she first learned to read. The smell of them, the way the pages sounded when they turned; everything about them was wonderful.    
  


The girl's name was Hermione Marie Granger. She was no normal girl...in fact, she was as 'un-normal' as one could possibly be. She was a witch, and a brilliant one at that. She was riding the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for her seventh and last year as a student there. And she was best friends with Harry Potter himself. Yes, THE Harry Potter.   
  
The door to her compartment opened and she finally looked up from the book. Two boys stood there, both of their arms filled with all sorts of sweets and treats. One of them had jet black hair, bright green eyes, and was about 5'10. His glasses were sliding down to the tip of his nose, probably due to sweat. He was Harry Potter. The other boy was quiet a bit taller than he. He had shocking red hair, quite a large nose, and a cheesy grin was spread across his face. His name was Ronald Weasley (Ron for short.)   
  
_And people think I actually like him as a boyfriend..._  
  
Now, don't get her wrong or anything, she loved him as a friend, but people had been trying to get them together ever since their sixth year and that just wasn't going to happen as long as SHE was in charge.   
  
"Look at all of the candy Harry got us," Ron said, taking a seat across from her. Harry sat beside him.   
  
"Your teeth are going to rot out, Ron, with all of the candy you eat. Especially if you've never had your teeth professionally cleaned." He simply snorted and began opened a chocolate frog. Hermione returned to reading.   
  
"I still can't believe you turned down the Head Girl position," Harry said, causing her train of thought to drift. She looked back up at him and shrugged.   
  
"I have more important things to do with my time," she said simply.   
  
"An' wha' wuld tat be'?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chocolate.   
  


"Don't talk with your mouth full," Hermione scolded before answering. She shrugged. "I have a life, you know." To tell the truth, it was mostly because she was tired of being acknowledged simply because of her grades. She was tired of people expecting that everything she do be perfect. It was merely an act of rebellion, she thought.   
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione, all you ever do is read. Not much of a life. There are more important things in life, you know. You should get out………party every now and then."   
  
"And just why would I want to waste my time dancing like an idiot, making out with a complete stranger and catching Mono, or getting drunk?" she snapped.   
  
Ron swallowed the last bite of his food. "First off, dancing is not a waste of time. Second, you probably aren't going to catch Mono. And third, what does partying have to do with getting drunk? Not all parties have beer involved." He shook his head. "I swear 'Mione, you're too much of a-"  
  
"Too much of a WHAT Ron? Goody good? Perfectionist? Well I'm not as perfect as everyone may think!" And with that, exited the room, leaving them both behind with blank looks upon their faces.   
  
  


~*~*~

Hermione entered the girls' bathroom and quickly slipped her robes on. When she was finished, she headed back to the compartment. But just her luck, she ran into someone (not literally) that she most certainly didn't want to see. A boy of about 6 feet with pale blond hair, pale skin, and deep blue eyes stepped in front of her from one of the compartments. Now, by the sound of his looks, you'd think any girl would be happy to see this hunk, but not Hermione. For she had been sworn enemies with this boy ever since her first year. He was Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin. He was hated by many, loved by few. In short, only the Slytherins got along with him, because most of them were just as evil as he was.   
  


"Well if it isn't the Mudblood, Encyclopedia Granger," he sneered with an evil smirk.   
  
Hermione glared at him. "Move, Malfoy, I don't feel like putting up with your crap right now." She brushed a curl from her face.   
  
He raised his eyebrows, completely ignoring her request. "Looks like the goody-good finally got rid of the frizz. And is that make-up I see?" As a matter of fact, Hermione's mother had taken her out for a make-over for her seventeenth birthday. Well, more like, Hermione had talked her into it. She practically got down on her knees. "I WOULD approve, but it doesn't make YOU look any better, Granger. You can still see the filth." She raised her arm and reared back to slap him, but he was quicker and caught her by the wrist when she was only inches away from his face. "Now, now, Mudblood. Let's not get touchy. Wouldn't ant your germs on me would we?"   
  
Hermione snorted and nodded towards her wrist, which he was still holding. "Well then, I guess you'd best go wash your hands, Draco Dear, because you're touching me." He released her hand as though her skin had burned him and darted past her, careful not to touch her anymore, but not before giving her one last glare. Hermione noticed that he wasn't sporting a Head Boy badge.   
  
~*~*~   
  
After getting off the train, riding in a bumpy carriage, and entering a pair of large oak doors, Hermione followed the mob of students into the Great Hall. The fours tables were decorated with the usual and there were thousands of floating candles for light. (With the help, of course, from the stars above them, which were glowing on the enchanted ceiling.) Hermione seated herself in between Parvati Patil and Neville Longbottom, two fellow seventh years, and across from Harry and Ron.   
  
"Hi, Hermione," Parvati said smiling. "I love what you've done with your hair."   
  
"Thanks," Hermione replied. "Mum took me to a salon for some tips on taming it. A few simple muggle products do the trick." Parvati nodded interestedly. Hermione and Parvati had never really been the best of friends, but over the past year they had gotten closer. Lavender Brown, Parvati's 'x-best friend', had gone through a disturbing sort of change over the summer after their fifth year.   
  


She hung around with an odd group of kids, and they all wore black. Even on their lips and finger nails. They tended to frighten Parvati, but Hermione had tried to explain to her that it was just their way of expressing themselves. She wouldn't personally choose to express herself that way (black looked horrible on her) but she didn't see anything wrong with it. Actually, allot of the people who dressed like that had been involved in some sort of drama, at least that's what her mother said.   
  
When the hall was filled with chattering students, the doors reopened and Professor McGonagall, their strictest teacher and Deputy Headmistress, entered carrying a three-legged stool and a worn out hat. All went quiet. A long line of nervous-looking first years followed her in single file. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the scared looks on their faces. She remembered her first day at Hogwarts. She had been much more nervous than she had let on. Acting was another small talent that she possessed, and it had come in handy in many situations.   
  
Professor McGonagall stopped in front of the High Table and placed the hat upon the stool. A brim in the hat opened and it burst into song.   
  
When it finished, she pulled a parchment from her cloak and unrolled it. "When I call your name, you will seat yourself on the stool, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into one of the fours houses of Hogwarts: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin." She looked down at the list. "Arnold, Timothy!" A small boy with light brown hair approached the stool and nervously sat down. She placed the hat on his head, and he was sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Albany, Ashlan!" 

Hermione watched as a small girl with long blond hair walked up to the stool and sat down. She HAD to be the smallest 11 year-old Hermione had ever seen; she looked to be nothing but mere skin and bone. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and seconds later, it yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" 

Hermione cheered along with the other Gryffindors and Brianna rushed over to the table. She sat down in the seat next to Hermione, but didn't look up at anyone; she merely watched the rest of the first years get sorted. 

~DRACO~

Draco Malfoy, also the age of seventeen, glared evilly at the line of little first years that were waiting to be sorted; one of them let out a small shriek and hid behind another and his smirk widened. 

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted through the Great Hall and Draco turned his attention back up to the front. A small boy with brown hair was making his way towards their table with a sneer. 

"Bloody first year," Draco mumbled under his breath and continued to glare around the room. The Mudblood was propped on hr elbow, and she was staring blankly at the ceiling, while the duo was discussing something animatedly; by the movements of their hands, Draco guessed it to be Quidditch, not that he cared or anything. When his eyes drifted back over to Granger, he noticed that she wasn't wearing a Head Girl badge………

During the summer, he had received a letter, presenting him with the privilege of being Head Boy, but the Heads from the previous year had had to share a common room. He didn't think he'd be able to handle living with that filth. She'd get her germs all over everything. Draco shuddered just as Professor McGonagall called up the final first year to be sorted. He let his eyes drift back up to the front.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted almost as soon as it was sat upon the boy's head. A loud applause echoed through the hall and a few people even whistled. Draco merely crossed his arms over his chest, as did most of the other Slytherins. 

When everyone was seated, Dumbledore got to his feet, beaming down at them all with that familiar twinkle in his eyes. "Welcome," he said loudly, "to another year at Hogwarts! Now, I have an announcement to make, but first, I have a few rules to get straight. First years note that the Forbidden Forest is STRICTLY forbidden. And everyone keep in mind while walking through the left wing corridor on the fourth floor, that we have a visitor. It seems as though our former Poltergeist, Peeves, has sent along a friend to stay with us for a while. Make sure to cover your head in that corridor. He tends to throw Busmboozles at the passer-bys." 

A few people laughed. Busmboozles were a sort of bomb; the insides consisted of bat dung, a mixture of owl spit, and the warts of a toad. It wasn't necessarily harmful when it exploded, but it left the victim smelling horrible for up to a week. The Weasley twins were of course the ones who invented them……… "Next, I would like to introduce this year's Head Boy and Girl." Draco scowled. "Miss Hannah Abbot and Mr. Terry Boot!" A burst of applause rang through the hall.

"Now, on to my announcement," Dumbledore announced loudly, causing everyone to go quiet again. "As those of you who were here last year know, the Sorting Hat sent us a 'unique' message at the Welcome Feast. It has come to my, and the other teachers' attention, that something must be done about it. These are dark times, and house rivalries are not needed………" He looked around at them all with a serious expression and Draco snorted. A few people from the other houses glared at him but the Slytherins laughed. 

Dumbledore continued on as though there had been no interruption. "So, the other teachers and I have come to a conclusion. You will be divided into……… slightly 'smaller' divisions, and you will have your own common room with those in your division." Several people exchanged curious glances. "There will be four people in each division; one person from each house." There was a break out of objections.

"The old coot's gone mad!" Draco declared with his eyebrows raised, but hardly anyone heard him; for everyone was talking at once. 

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore shouted. Every head in the Hall turned back to him. A few of the first years had frightened looks upon their faces. "As I said," he continued, bringing his voice back down, "There will be four people in your division. The years may vary; your division mates may be from first year while you are in seventh, but it is no matter. You will dine with these people, live with these people, and get to know these people. But most importantly, you will befriend these people. They will be your family for the rest of the year."

He looked from each table to the next. "Your divisions will be assigned after the feast. Everyone meet in the library when you are finished." He raised his hands up, and with one swift motion, all of the plates and goblets were filled. Dumbledore's cheery tone returned. "Let the feast begin!" 

There usually would have been the sound of plates clattering and spoons scraping them. But there was merely a shocked silence as everyone stared around the room at one another. 

Slowly but surely, people began talking again; not hardly a soul touched their plates though. 

"He's REALLY fallen off his rocker now," Pansy Parkinson said in a disgusted tone. 

"One person from EACH house?" Blaise Zabini put in. "That means we'll be living with a bloody Gryffindor!" 

"I'd like to see him MAKE me live with one!" Draco added, slamming his fist on the table. 

~HERMIONE~

A similar reaction was going on at the Gryffindor Table. 

"This has GOT to be a joke!" Ron Weasley shouted to the other seventh years at their table. "It's GOT to………I must be dreaming! Someone pinch me!"

Harry had his hands in his head. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, you're not dreaming," he said in a bossy tone and began piling food onto her plate. 

Ron stared at her in disbelief. "How can you be calm??? WE'RE GOING TO BE LIVING WITH SLYTHERINS."

"I kn-"

"Cut it out, will you?!" Harry snapped angrily. Both of them turned to look at him. His head was no longer in his hands and he was looking at them with one of those 'I'm-not-in-the-mood-to-hear-you' looks plastered on his face. 

The three ate the rest of their meal in silence, all dreading going into the library after dinner. 

A/N: R/R! The next chapter is halfway finished! If I get enough reviews, I'll update 2morrow. 


	2. The Divisions

A/N: Omg, I'm really sorry this took so long to get out! The disk that I had it saved on totally screwed up. It would only open half of the chapter, and I had to rewrite it. But actually, I think I like this version better. 

Special thanks to: the 14 WONDERFUL reviewers! I expected 3 at the most! That's great for a first chapter for a first fic under this name. 

Disclaimer: Do I _really have to tell you that I don't own it? It's pretty obvious, so don't sue. _

Note: Italics means she's/he's thinking. 

Chapter 2:

~HERMIONE~

When they entered the library, a space was cleared in the middle of the room for everyone to gather around. Madam Promfrey was standing behind the desk with a disproving look; obviously, she hadn't agreed to move the shelves around. Every teacher and staff member was standing in the center, near a small table that had a black top hat placed on it. Even Professor Binns was there.

The students all squeezed together near the door, all afraid of going in any farther. Several of them had come up with the same conclusion: the teachers had finally gone crazy... Who would put a Slytherin in the same common room as a Gryffindor? You_ had to be crazy to attempt something such as that. Even Hermione was beginning to doubt their intelligence. _

When every student and staff member had entered the room and the doors were closed, Dumbledore spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "Everyone, please, make yourselves at home," he said cheerfully, as though it were a happy gathering. "Well, have a seat," he added when no one made a move. "This may take a while. Just get wherever you can." He motioned to the empty space between the teachers and students. 

People exchanged uneasy glances before slowly responding. There was a shuffle as they all scrambled to sit somewhere on the stone floor. The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors made sure to sit as far away from the Slytherins as possible, causing a gap to be formed like an isle through the middle of the room. 

Hermione uneasily seated herself Indian-style in between Parvati and Harry, with Ron on his other side. It almost seemed as though she were dreaming; she was just playing the part. 

"Now," the Headmaster said when everyone was comfortable, "I will draw pieces of paper from this hat." He indicated the top hat sitting on the table. "It has already sorted you into your divisions, as Professor Flitwick has charmed it to do so." He glanced at Professor Flitwick, who gave a small nod. "When I call your name, please make your way to the front of the room." 

Several murmurs spread through the room, and he stuck his hand inside the hat. 

"I _really hope I'm not stuck with Millicent Bulstrode," Lavender hissed in Hermione's ear. Hermione nodded, but didn't take her eyes off of the Headmaster as he unfolded a small piece of parchment. _

He peered over his half-moon spectacles and cleared his throat. "I give you the members of Division One." Hermione shifted. "They are: Michael Nott, Miriam Lovell, Valerie Webb, and Ginny Weasley." 

The four students stood up and made their way to the center isle, slowly walking up to where the teachers stood. Hermione gave Ginny a sympathetic look as she passed. Michael Nott was almost as bad as Draco Malfoy..._almost_. 

When they reached the front, they exchanged a few unheard whispers with the teachers. Then, without doing anything more, they followed Professor Vektor from the room through a back door. Dumbledore placed his hand back inside the hat to draw another Division. 

~DRACO~

Pansy Parkinson tightly gripped Draco's upper every time the old coot reached inside the hat. The two fellow Slytherins had been "dating" for six months now, and he still didn't actually "like her, like her"- the way a boyfriend should. She was a bit annoying...(A "bit" is a very big understatement.) The only reason he was going out with her was because she was the only decent-looking Slytherin around, and he had to keep his reputation. 

"Oh, Draco, I don't think I'll be able to function properly if you and I aren't in the same common room," she whispered. He merely stared at the front as Parvati Patil made her way to the front with her group. He had always found her hot. (To be a Gryffindor.) "We won't even be able to eat meals together!" When he didn't answer, she gave his arm an impatient tug, pinching the skin slightly. 

"Ouch! What was that for?" he hissed and turned to glare at her. 

"Were you even listening to me?' she demanded. 

He shrugged off her grip and rubbed his arm where she had pinched it. "I was thinking, that's all..."

She giggled and asked, "Well why would you want to do that for, silly?"

"Because that's what normal people do?" he asked with raised eyebrows. 

"I was kidding," she responded before rolling her eyes and returning her grip to his arm. He sighed but didn't even bother to make her move. After all, he wouldn't have to put up with her after this. What would it hurt to let her get a last "moment?" 

"Division Seven..." Dumbledore announced as he unfolded another piece of parchment. "Colin Creevy, Ashlan Albany, Hermione Granger...and Draco Malfoy." Pansy gasped and increased the pressure on Draco's arm.

 It took him a moment to register what the Headmaster had said, and when it finally got through to his brain, his stomach dropped; as did his mouth. He was joking, right? The Mudblood and him, sharing a _common room_? That was like an open invitation to start World War III! 

"Oh, Draco! I can't believe you got stuck with _that_!" Pansy shrieked. Several of the other Slytherins gave him sympathetic looks, and the other three members of the Division started to make their way to the front.  "And not just _one Mudblood...__two!"_

He stared at the Headmaster in disbelief. "There's got to be a mistake," he said hoarsely to anyone who was listening. He'd turned down the Head Boy position as not to be with her, and he got stuck with her anyway???

"Mr. Malfoy, please make your way to the front. The others are waiting," Dumbledore said and nodded to the other three, who were standing behind Professor Snape. 

Numbly, he got to his feet and began slowly inching his way to the front. It was as though he were a prisoner on death row, headed to face his executioner with the people in the crowds watching with held breaths. 

When he reached the front, he glared at Dumbledore; he didn't care how powerful the old coot was. He was insane! Why even bother trying to change anything? Daddy Dear wasn't here to help...

Encyclopedia Granger glared at him. Not one to be outdone, he returned the 'loving' gesture with one of his nastiest smirks and leaned over so only she could hear him. "You'd better watch your back Granger," he hissed threateningly. 

Before she could retort, Professor Dumbledore told them in a low voice, "Follow Professor Snape. He'll show you to your new quarters." He nodded toward the greasy-haired Potions Master, who turned around and walked through the same door the other students had gone through. Draco stepped in front of the other three with his nose in the air and followed him.

~HERMIONE~

Hermione was seething with anger. She brought up the rear, behind Colin Creevy. How dare that ferret-faced Malfoy threaten her! She'd show him!_ Stupid, conniving, conceited, son of a..._ She quickly cut her thoughts off. She was Hermione Granger, she didn't cuss! She wasn't going to let herself stoop to a level as low as _his._

They followed Snape through a small, dark hallway lit with flame torches. It was as though they were down in the dungeons, but they were too much above ground to be. They went up a long staircase, and Hermione counted exactly 541 steps. 

When they reached the top landing, they found themselves in a long hallway with several doors; each one had the corridor that it led to printed in bold letters above it. Hermione had never been here before, and curiosity caused her to forget about being so mad at Malfoy. She was sure that every corridor in the castle was labeled. _There must be some sort of spell on the doors for them to be able to take you to the right corridor. _

Snape led them down three doors, and they followed him inside, ending up in the fifth floor corridor between a portrait of Nicholas the Schmaltz and a statue of a fairy. Snape led them over to Nicholas. He was wearing an emerald green set of dress robes and he had jet black hair. He almost looked like Harry. 

"Fickle Popper," Snape said said, causing the portrait to swing open.  They walked up a winding staircase and found themselves in a tiny room. There were two couches, four small armchairs, one coffee table, and four desks. The couches were situated in front of a fireplace with the coffee table in between them. The chairs were shoved in open spaces around them. Division Seven was written in dark blue letters above the mantel. 

"This is your common room," Snape said dryly. "Your password is Fickle Popper. The girls' dormitory is up the stairs and to the right, the boys on the left. Each has its own restroom. Any questions?" When none of them replied, he said, "Very well then. Your schedules will be passed out tomorrow morning." He turned and headed for the exit, but before he went out, he turned back around. "No one else is allowed in this common room, understood?" 

"Yes sir," three of them answered. Malfoy was the only one who didn't. 

He left them standing there without another word. 

There was an uneasy silence between the four students, and they all just stood there looking at each other for a couple of minutes. There was an awkward silence.

Malfoy was the first to wander up the stairs. He left the other three standing there without a word, and he didn't look back to see if anyone followed. 

Colin shifted and cleared his throat. For the first time, Hermione noticed that he didn't have his camera around his neck. "So," he started, "looks like we're house mates for the rest of the year, eh?" 

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, looks like it..." 

Ashlan did the same as Draco and left them without a word. 

Hermione watched her disappear up the stairs and said, "Well...I guess I'll go get settled in. Tomorrow will be hectic..." 

He nodded and the two made their way to and up the staircases, parting at the top landing. Hermione and Ashlan's door was a light pink color, and their names were carved into the wood. She walked inside.  

Like the common room, the room was quite small. But at least they had bigger beds. The beds were located in the center of the room, and on either side were a vanity, a closet, and a chest of drawers. There weren't any decorations, but the beds, just like the door, were pink and their names were carved onto the headboard. Their trunks sat at the end of the beds, and their clothes were already folded or hanged in their proper places. 

Ashlan had already changed into her pajamas, Hermione noticed, and she was sitting up in her bed with a small lamp on...reading. _Now there's a good student._

Not wanting to interrupt, as she herself hated being interrupted while reading a good book, Hermione quietly walked over to her chest of drawers to find her pajamas. They were in the first drawer she opened, and she smiled when she saw them, remembering when she had received them from her cousin in America as a birthday present. The bottoms were white with a blue bears (Night Time Care Bear) all over them, and the top had one of the bears sitting on a cloud. 

She replaced her clothes with them and crawled into bed, planning on introducing herself first. But almost as soon as she crawled under the covers, the light from her roommate's lamp went out, leaving her in the darkness. 

With a heavy sigh, she crawled the rest of the way under the covers and snuggled into her pillow. There was a window on her side of the room, and the curtains were pushed back, revealing a full moon. If she looked at it long enough, it was as though she really could make a face out of it, and the man in the moon seemed to be smiling down at her. The stars were dancing merrily around it. The sight of the full moon always made her want to stay awake, and she realized when she saw it that she wasn't sleepy. _Maybe if I think about something lone enough, I'll get sleepy..._

Hermione wondered what the year would bring. She wondered how different things would be, and wondered if she would ever befriend her roommate, who seemed to be a bit distant. 

Then her thoughts drifted to Malfoy. She often wondered why he was so cold towards everyone. After her first year, she had told her mother all about him and how mean he was to her. Caroline Granger's explanation was that he was probably just a troubled, misunderstood boy who obviously didn't feel very loved at home. It was a typical response from her mother, who had always wanted to be a psychiatrist, but got stuck as a dentist instead for reasons that she hadn't told. 

~*~

After what seemed like hours, but had probably only been minutes, Hermione finally gave up on sleep and crawled out of bed. She stealthily tip-toed over to her trunk and opened it; then she started digging around in her many books for her Transfiguration one. 

When she found it, she tip-toed from the room and down into the common room, seating herself at one of the desks. She turned on the lamp sitting on it and stared at the cover of the golden book. In cursive silver letters it said _The Art of Complex Transfigurations for the title. _

She remembered the day she had bought it. Somehow, she managed to wonder away from her parents at Diagon Alley and wound up in Knockturn Alley. She had found the book in an old bookstore. (All of the books inside it looked as though they belonged in the Restricted Section.) It had been covered in dust at the time, but a bit of scrubbing made it look as good as new. She was able to buy the book from the old clerk without questioning, as it was in Knockturn Alley.

She flipped the book open and skimmed to the page where she had left off. It was in a chapter on the art of animagi. Hermione had secretly wanted to learn the transformation, just to know it. She didn't plan on using it, though. 

Curling up in a comfortable position, she settled herself in for a night of reading.

~Draco~

Draco sat on the window seat, staring out of the window. The view was beautiful; it was looking out over the lake, and the reflection of the stars and moon danced merrily on the ripples of the waters each time the wind would blow. The only sounds were the gentle snores coming from across the room from Draco's roommate, a Gryffindor named Colin Creevy. _Better than Potter. _

Draco had always preferred being awake at night. He loved the feeling of being awake, while the half of the world he was on was asleep. He felt that he could be himself, and there was no one to criticize him or his mistakes. 

He heard the clock dong 1:00 down in the common room and sighed. It was always too hard for him to go to sleep on nights like these; when the weather was warm, and there was a full moon out. He had the crazy urge to run outside, the way he did back at the manor. But the school was a different story. There were guards up during all hours of the night, and it was hard to sneak around. 

He wished he could transform into a cat. Then, he'd be able to do whatever he wanted with no one stopping him. In fact, he had been studying the complex transformation of animagi since his 3rd year at Hogwarts. But he hadn't tried to perform it just yet.

He sighed and looked up at the moon, which was smiling down at him. He scowled. It seemed to remind him of Granger, as she was always smiling. _Bloody Gryffindor._

So far, the year had gone from bad to worse. First, he found out he'd be living with a Gryffindor. That was bad enough. Then, he finds out that it'll be Granger. That was _definitely worse. Why couldn't it have been that Patil girl or somebody? Why was it the one person he couldn't stand to look at? He frowned at the thought of her._

Realizing that sleep wasn't going to come any time soon, Draco stood up and left the room as quietly as a cat. He figured he could just hang around the common room until he got tired enough to go to sleep. 

His bare feet didn't make a sound on the stairs. As he neared the bottom, he saw the glow of a dim light. He could tell that it wasn't from the fireplace; obviously, he wasn't the only person awake. He stood on the bottom stair and peeked around the corner. Sitting in a desk, reading as usual, was Hermione Granger; she was wearing funny-looking pajamas. She obviously wasn't aware of his presence. 

Suddenly she closed the large book and rubbed her temples. Even from afar, Draco recognized the book. His mother had one just like it in their library at home...It was full of Dark Magic and complex transfiguration spells. In fact, it had been one of his main sources on the key of becoming an animagus. _What is Granger doing with a book like that? _

She stood up and tucked the book under her arm. Then she flicked out the light, making the firelight the only source of light. It was just enough to see what she was doing. 

Draco just stood there as she came closer to the staircase. When she was about three feet away, he stepped out into the light. Granger let out a yelp and jumped back, nearly tripping, when she saw him.  

He smirked evilly and said in a low voice, "Scare you, Mudblood?" 

He could see her glaring at him as she hissed, "Stupid git," and she pushed past him, ascending the stairs at a trot. 

Draco sat down on one of the couches and smiled to himself when he thought about the scared look on her face. But his thoughts drifted back to the book she had. How did she get a book like that, and what did she need it for?

A/N: I tired to make it longer, but I have to study for DREADFUL semester exams. (8 pages in Microsoft word in size 12 font. I usually use 8 font...) I know the chap was kinda boring, but like I have said, I'm taking this slow, as I want it to be perfect. Thank you for those wonderful reviews!


	3. Nicholas Hamilton

A/N: I know, I know, it took forever! But I had to use my time to finish my other fic before I could really get into this one, and it's finished! So now all of my writing time will be dedicated to this ficcy! Also, I've been kinda caught up in Christmas; writing was the last thing on my mind. And, just so you know, there will be several pairings in this fic, but I'm only concentrating on D/Hr. The others will merely be mentioned. 

NOTE: In this fic, they don't have uniforms, because I don't remember J.K. ever mentioning them. They'll just wear muggle clothes underneath the robes and such. 

IMPORTANT: I've been reading over the two first chapters, and I have so many mistakes. GRR, I have _got_ to get a beta reader. Here are a few things that need to be cleared up:

Albany, Ashlan was sorted into Gryffindor in the first chapter. Scratch that; she was sorted into Ravenclaw.

Also, in the first chapter, Dumbledore said "As those of you who were here last year know, the Sorting Hat sent us a 'unique' message at the Welcome Feast" It's supposed to be two years ago, because they're in their seventh year. 

In chapter 2, Division 7 is supposed to have the following students: Draco Malfoy (Slytherin), Hermione Granger (Gryffindor), Ashlan Albany (Ravenclaw), and Joseph Larkin (Hufflepuff). 

Sorry about the mistakes!

Chapter 3:

~HERMIONE~

Hermione was the first to awake of she and Ashlan the next morning, which wasn't unusual, as it was 6 A.M. Most of the students didn't get out of bed until around 8; Hermione liked having the extra time in the mornings to prepare for classes. 

After she showered, she slipped into a pair of khaki colored kapri-pants, a light yellow shirt with two buttons and a collar on it, and a white pair of sandals. It was her idea of a neat look. She applied very little make-up, just enough to cover any blemishes, and some light pink lip-gloss. She needn't wear blush, as her cheeks were naturally rosy. Last, she pulled up her long, curly hair into a pony tail, slipped on her robes, and made her way down to the empty common room. 

A light fire was already going. She walked over to the portrait and pushed it open, stepping out into the corridor. A warm summer breeze was rushing through the windows, and she closed her eyes for a moment to breathe it in. The fresh smell of autumn scents intoxicated her nostrils; autumn had always been one of her favorite seasons because it wasn't cold, but it wasn't scorching. Everything was just right. 

As she strolled through the corridors, Hermione was surprised to see that quite a few people were up and about that early. Maybe it was just the winds of change that influenced them to do so. And maybe the idea of this "plan" wasn't so bad after all...

When she reached the doors to the Great Hall, there was a small line of students waiting to get inside. Head Boy and Girl were standing up front; they seemed to be giving out instructions. Hannah was holding a basket, and Terry was holding a parchment in front of his long nose. 

"What's going on?" Hermione asked the person in front of her, a girl with shocking red hair similar to the Weasleys' who she knew to be a sixth year Hufflepuff. 

"They've divided the house tables," the girl answered with a disproving look. "Hannah told me that the Heads had a meeting with Dumbledore about it last night. There are twelve seats at each table, three Divisions to a table. Insane if you ask me..." She turned her attention back to the front of the line, leaving Hermione to ponder over what she had said. 

Immediately, Hermione's mood towards the "plan" changed back to what it had been the night before. _This is ridiculous! I can't even dine with my best friends!_

The line moved quickly, and in no time, Hermione had reached the front. Several more people were behind her. 

"Division?" Terry asked, not even looking up from the parchment in his hands. 

"Seven." 

His eyes scrolled down the parchment. "You'll be sitting at table twenty-five."

Hannah reached inside the basket and pulled out a round, orange sticker with the number 25 written in bold letters on it. She handed it to Hermione and said, "You will wear this at all times; for rule purposes. If you are caught sitting at another table during mealtimes, you will be punished. Hermione nodded, and Hannah stepped aside for her to enter. 

She had to hold back a gasp when she saw what they had done to the Great Hall. There were two long rows of tables on each side of the room with a wide isle in between them. Above every table there were numbers floating, which Hermione supposed to be the table numbers. _How much worse can this get???_

With a heavy sigh, she scoped out table 25. It was located on the left side of the room, about in the middle of the row. She noticed four people, three girls and a boy at opposite ends, sitting there. The boy was a Ravenclaw 7th year, named something Hamilton. He had black hair, naturally tanned skin, and bright blue eyes, which made most of the girls swoon. Hermione though he was good-looking, but she didn't fancy sharing her feelings and thoughts with the other hormone-raged girls. 

She approached the table and seated herself across from the boy. The benches had been replaced with chairs, and she was grateful. It was always so hard to kick your leg over the benches without flashing the whole Hall if you had on a skirt. Hermione began dipping herself a small portion of food. Breakfast had always been her least-favorite mealtime. It was always so sickening, and if it weren't for being healthier, she'd skip it completely. 

"Is that all you're going to eat?" asked a voice when she'd gathered everything she wanted: a slice of toast, a spoonful of eggs, and a strip of bacon. 

She looked up at the person across from her. He had an amused look on his face. She blushed. "I don't like breakfast food." 

He grinned and said, "I can tell," before taking a sip of pumpkin juice. 

"What do you mean?" She wasn't sure whether to be offended or not. 

The boy shrugged and nodded toward her wrist. "Well, you're pretty skinny to be in seventh year."

Hermione looked down at her wrist; all of a sudden, it looked so frail and thin. Maybe he was right...But did her whole body look that way? She could feel her face turned a bright shade of pink as she thought of an image of herself; a thing, gangly body with skeleton-like arms trying to hold up a huge stack of books and parchments. 

"But it's not a bad thing at all," the boy said, interrupting her thoughts. She looked back up at him, and he smiled. When he did so, it seemed as though all of his features were smiling...the curves in his face, his eyes...A herd of butterflies erupted in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't help but smile back. 

He suddenly reached across the table and held out his hand. "I'm Nicholas Hamilton." 

She shook his hand and started to say, "I'm-"

"Hermione Granger," he interrupted. "I never forget a pretty face," he added with a small blush. 

Hermione felt like her head was going to explode from the heat in her face. She folded her still tingling hand in her lap and picked up her fork with the other. What else was there to do? Tell him that _he_ was pretty? She almost laughed out loud at the thought. Attention from any boy always made her feel giddy inside, and she usually managed to do something stupid. She just couldn't help it. 

"So," Nicholas started, "which Division are you in?" 

Hermione swallowed the bite of eggs in her mouth before answering, "Seven. You?"

"Four."

Her eyes lit up. "Isn't that the Division that Harry is in?" 

"Harry Potter?" She nodded. 

At that moment, someone sat down on Hermione's right, and a voice said. "Did someone say my name?" 

She looked over to see Harry smiling down at her. "Harry!" she exclaimed, glad to have a friend at her table. "I'm s glad one of my friends is at my table!"

He nodded. "Me too; but Ron, the poor bloke, got stuck at a table with Pansy Parkinson." He pointed to a table, but Hermione didn't even bother to look.

"Well I'd rather be at his table than in the company of this one," she said in a disgusted tone. 

"Hey!" Nicholas and Harry both objected, and she giggled. 

_Was that me giggling? _

"Not you two." She lowered her voice and discreetly pointed to the other end of the table. "I just don't want to be in their company; not to mention the fact that Draco Malfoy is in my Division." 

Harry's eyes widened. "_What?" Hermione nodded sadly. Harry had already left with his Division after she was sorted into hers._

"He's already being a pain," she told them, thinking about his "warning." 

Nicholas scowled and said, "I hate that bloody idiot. Thinks he owns the place, he does." 

"Thank you for your kind words," drawled a voice behind them. They all turned to see Malfoy towering over them. "But if you don't mind, I'd rather you say them to me face; that way, I'll have an excuse for cursing you to oblivion." 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Malfoy, do we_ look_ scared to you?" 

Before he could reply, a loud feminine voice echoed through the Hall. "Students, may I have your attention please," Professor McGonagall said, causing everyone's attention to turn to her. "When your Division number is called, please come to the front to receive your new timetables. If a person or persons in your Division is not present, please be kind enough to take them to your table for them." She unrolled a scroll of parchment and began calling out Divisions. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Malfoy take a seat as far away from them and the girls as possible, which meant he was in the very center. 

~*~*~

~DRACO~

Draco scowled as he made his way up to the teachers' table with Granger and the other two members of their Division, who had showed up only moments before. He was already in a bad mood with the table arrangements, and Granger and her little buddies weren't helping. 

When he reached the front, Snape handed him his timetable first, albeit Granger and the others had gotten there first. He smirked at them as he walked back to the table. 

"Draco!" someone hissed to his left, just as he was about to sit down. He looked up to see Pansy Parkinson about three tables over. She was leaning across the table, waving at him avidly. To her left was Peter Rails, a sixth year Slytherin, and at the other end of the table was Ron Weasley (better known to Draco as The Weasel) and Dean Thomas, two seventh year Gryffindors. He hated both of them, but couldn't help but smirk at Pansy being stuck with them. He sat down in his seat without even acknowledging that Pansy had waved and unfolded his timetable, just as the others sat down. 

_Draco Malfoy-Slytherin-Year Seven  _

_Monday: __9:00 A.M.__ – Potions with Professor Snape. _

_10:30 A.M.__ –Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid_

_12:00 P.M.__ – Lunch_

_1:00 P.M.__ – Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_Tuesday: __9:00 A.M.__ – Literacy/Calligraphy with Professor Eurike_

_10:30 A.M.__ – Herbology with Professor Sprout_

Draco wasn't able to finish reading, as Professor Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. By now, the tables were all full. "Students, as most of you may have realized, there is no Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named on your timetables." He stared down at them all, eyes twinkling behind the half-moon spectacles. Draco scowled at the sigh of the old fool, albeit he listened to his every word. "That is simply because we are waiting for his arrival. If you are scheduled for a class with him today, please meet in the Library. There will be a teacher there to assist you." 

Several murmurs passed through the hall. "Also," Dumbledore continued, "there are no houses listed for the classes. That is because they have been divided. No two people in this room should have the same schedule. In every class, members from all of the houses will be together." Draco could feel anger rising inside his chest. How much further were they going to take this??? Enough was enough! _House unity...bull! _

Several other people in the hall were exchanging glances, but no one was really surprised. After all that had happened so far, they wouldn't be surprised if they were instructed to all sleep in one dormitory. Not that that was likely; the teachers weren't stupid enough to put hormone-raged teenagers into one dormitory. But then again...

When Dumbledore had resumed his place in his seat, Draco got to his feet. Several of the students were heading back to their common rooms for books and such, including Granger. Not one to be outdone, he headed back as well. 

~*~*~

Draco stared around the Potions classroom. It was odd having such a variety of students on a class, but it was better than having a whole lot of Gryffindors and a clinging Pansy (Luckily, she wasn't in this class.) The classes were smaller as well. There were eight students, two from each house, and the seats were assigned. Draco found himself sitting beside Terry Boot. The only other Slytherin was Michael Nott, but Draco had never gotten along with him. He was too much of a rival. 

For the first time in seven years, Draco Malfoy_ hated_ his Potions class. Even Granger had that class...The only bonus was the fact that Parvati Patil was in it; he had plenty of "eye candy," even if it was a Gryffindor. 

Almost as soon as the bell rang, Professor Snape stormed into the room and strode up to the front to stand behind a podium. There was an automatic silence. "Good morning, class," he drawled. Draco could tell by his grumpy expression that he didn't mean it at all. "Welcome to Advanced Potions..." He stared around the room, studying each and every one of them, as though measuring them up. Then he looked down at his podium, obviously reading something on a parchment. 

"For the first three months of this year," he said without looking up, "we will be brewing over the Transformation Thalamus Potion. But...that isn't all. While they're brewing, we'll review for several smaller, simpler potions. After all, NEWTs are coming up, are they not?" He looked back up from the parchment, not really expecting an answer, and continued. "The person you are sitting next to is your partner, and it will not be changed unless something...happens."   

He walked from behind the podium and stood before them all. "This year isn't going to be easy...In fact, I do not expect all of you to still be with us by the end of the term." 

No one spoke nor moved. 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he snapped suddenly. Even Draco jumped slightly. "Get out your textbooks." 

There was a shuffle as people scrambled to get out the heavy books. 

~*~

~HERMIONE~

Hermione sighed and fell backwards onto a couch in the common room. They had had to sit in the library for the last class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and her bum was aching from sitting on the hard chairs. Not to mention the fact that the only open seat when she arrived was the one next to Malfoy...Professor Snape had met the class there. A double-dose of Snape _and Malfoy in two classes had not been good for her nerves. _

Joseph Larkin, a Hufflepuff third year, stumbled into the common room only minutes after she did and plopped down in an empty sofa. "Afternoon," he said politely with a nod.

She returned the greeting with a smile. 

"How nice," said a cold voice from the corner. Hermione looked up. She hadn't even realized that Malfoy was in the room, and yet there he was, sitting at a desk in the corner. "The Mudbloods are getting along." He was leaning back in his chair, staring at them in amusement. 

Hermione's eyes flashed angrily in his direction. "Shut your trap, _Malfoy,"_ she hissed, spitting his name out as though it were poison upon her tongue. "At least we know how to make friends." 

He snorted and said sarcastically, "Nice comeback." 

Hermione could feel her blood boiling. Oh, how she wanted to just hex him into oblivion. She stood up and ran up the stairs without looking back. The temptation was getting to be too much, and she feared of doing something she'd regret. 

Once in her room, she dug her diary and a quill out of her trunk and sat Indian-style on her bed, writing hastily away, as she always did when she got worked up. 

_I don't know why I let that bloke get to me so much...Just the slightest thing he says gets me seething with anger! Maybe it's just a Malfoy thing... He always walks around, looking down on people and acting like he owns the place. It drives me insane! Plus, the sneers, smirks, and name-calling are beginning to annoy me more than ever. I just don't think I can take much more of his trash! I might end up doing something regrettable soon..._

It was sooner than she thought. 

~*~*~

"So, Hermione," Nicholas said after swallowing a bite of mashed potatoes, "what's your favorite subject?" 

Hermione had been quite surprised when he sat beside her during supper. It was the seat that she had saved for Harry, but somehow she didn't mind... (Harry had sat at the other end of the table, because he refused to sit next to Malfoy, who was sitting in front of Nicholas. Therefore, Ashlan Albany had to sit in front of Hermione.) "Oh...Well, I like Arithmacy and Transfiguration. It's hard to choose... I like Potions too, just not the teacher." He chuckled. "What about you?" 

He shrugged. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, I suppose. I've always had a thing for that subject." He smiled at her, and she felt more butterflies erupt in her stomach. She even had to look down at her plate so he wouldn't see her blush. She liked feeling this way...It had been such a long time. The last time she had felt like this was when she was with Viktor Krum during the summer after her fifth year. But like they say, long distance relationships never last. 

"Aww, is the Mudblood blushing?" sneered Malfoy. Hermione felt herself go even redder as she looked up at him with a glare in her eyes. _Oh, no you don't, Malfoy. Why did he always manage to embarrass her so? Every time something good was happening, he had to go and interrupt. She could feel several pairs of eyes on her, including Nicholas'. When she didn't say anything, he smirked. "Looks like the Mudblood has a crush on Hamilton here," he said loudly, causing several more people to look in her direction. _

That was it. He had pulled the final string. 

Hermione leapt to her feet and pulled out her wand, pointing it straight at his chest. "I'm sick of this!" she yelled angrily, not caring who was watching her. He had provoked her for year after year, and she didn't do much to stop it...But now, he would pay. "I'm going to teach you a lesson, you little ferret!" For an instant, she saw fear in his beady little eyes. And it felt good to have power over him. 

Just as she was about to shout a spell, someone grabbed her wrist and turned it away from Malfoy. "That is _enough!" _

Hermione looked to see who had interrupted, and felt her stomach fall to the floor. Professor McGonagall was standing there with an angry expression, and Dumbledore was behind her. Realization hit her, and she realized what she had just done. 

A/N: OK, so, kinda corny, but I'm working around to the point. And before anyone asks, YES, Hermione will have a "thing" with someone else for a couple of chapters. But if you'll notice, in the summary she's crying over someone else *cough*, so, ya... BUT IT IS D/Hr. 


End file.
